--- title: Diet and Exercise: Best Food to Eat After a Night Workout description: If you know you're going to bed soon, it's not a good idea to chow down on a massive meal. canonical: https://time.com/4461895/eat-diet-late-night-workout/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-08-25T16:00:32.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T00:07:53.470Z article:section: Health og:title: What to Eat After a Late-Night Workout og:description: These snacks can help replenish and refuel post-workout og:url: https://time.com/4461895/eat-diet-late-night-workout/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf941b30c8307eac9/6988a334e20a873d5ca921d2/best-late-night-workout-meals.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5616 og:image:height: 3159 og:image:alt: Roasted chickpeas in bowl og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What to Eat After a Late-Night Workout twitter:description: These snacks can help replenish and refuel post-workout twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf941b30c8307eac9/6988a334e20a873d5ca921d2/best-late-night-workout-meals.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # What to Eat After a Late-Night Workout > Sponsored content. 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Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. by [Cynthia Sass / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Cynthia Sass / Health.com Contributor Aug 25, 2016 4:00 PM UTC  Roasted chickpeas in bowl Roasted chickpeas in bowl Getty Images by [Cynthia Sass / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Cynthia Sass / Health.com Contributor Aug 25, 2016 4:00 PM UTC I’m a total night owl, so hitting the gym at the crack of dawn has never worked for me. I typically get a big burst of energy in the evening, and usually work out well after the sun goes down. Many of my clients also enjoy late-night workouts, but they always have one burning question for me: “What should I eat afterward, if anything?” My standard advice: Don’t starve yourself post-workout. You need to eat something to replenish nutrients and help your body recover from physical wear and tear. Forgoing fuel can leave you weaker, vulnerable to injuries and prone to sleep problems. But if you know you’re going to bed soon, it’s not a good idea to chow down on a massive meal. Instead, here are six fast and simple options rich in nutrients, lean protein, and healthy fat—to support (not undo) your hard work at the gym. ### Hummus with raw veggies Reach for traditional hummus or mix things up with a version made from black beans, [lentils](http://www.health.com/health/recipe/0,,50400000125494,00.html) or white beans. Whichever variety you choose, scoop it up with sliced bell pepper, cucumber, grape tomatoes or another in-season vegetable you like. ### Salmon and veggie salad Mix just an ounce or two of canned wild salmon with a small handful of baby spinach and a tablespoon of [olive tapenade](http://www.health.com/health/recipe/0,,10000002011078,00.html). Spoon it into an outer romaine leaf, or eat the tasty mixture on its own. **_Health.com:_**[_Healthy 4-Ingredient Dinners You Can Make in 10 Minutes or Less_](http://www.health.com/nutrition/quick-dinner-recipes/?xid=time) ### **Roasted chickpeas** Toss a handful of [chickpeas](http://www.health.com/nutrition/aquafaba-facts?xid=socialflow%5Ftwitter%5Fhealth) with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. (It’s fine to use canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry.) Bake on foil in the oven or toaster oven until golden brown. ### **Egg salad** Chop a few organic hard boiled eggs and toss with chopped veggies (like minced kale or shredded zucchini) and a small dollop of tahini or [pesto](http://www.health.com/food/avocado-pesto). ### **Chilled shrimp with guacamole** Thaw five or six frozen, ready-to-eat [shrimp](http://news.health.com/2014/12/04/calories-in-shrimp/?hootPostID=03f279674cc7ee6f7db25e2b71f68975) and dip them into a quarter cup of [guacamole](http://news.health.com/2014/09/12/5-amazing-powers-of-avocado/?hootPostID=189e6b01a97850338f4b6fc681e4b435). Just make sure the guac isn’t too hot, since spicy foods can interfere with sleep. **_Health.com:_** [_Up Your Guacamole Game with These 5 Fresh Recipes_](http://www.health.com/food/guacamole-recipes/?xid=time) ### **Nuts or seeds** A perfect post-workout serving of nuts or [seeds](http://news.health.com/2014/03/14/5-awesome-food-trends-worth-trying/) is a quarter cup, about the size of a golf ball. (If they’re in the shell, use a half cup.) My favorites are [almonds](http://news.health.com/2015/01/16/5-genius-ways-to-use-almonds/), pistachios, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Another option: a few level tablespoons of nut or seed butter, scooped up with celery. [**_Cynthia Sass_**](http://cynthiasass.com/) **_is a nutritionist and registered dietitian with master’s degrees in both nutrition science and public health. Frequently seen on_** [**_national TV_**](http://cynthiasass.com/media/demo-reel.html)**_, she’s_** **Health** **_’s contributing nutrition editor, and privately counsels_** [**_clients_**](http://cynthiasass.com/services/coaching-counseling-a-more.html) **_in New York, Los Angeles, and long distance. Cynthia is currently the sports nutrition consultant to the New York Yankees, previously consulted for three other professional sports teams, and is board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics. Sass is a three-time New York Times best-selling author, and her newest book is_** [**Slim Down Now: Shed Pounds and Inches with Real Food, Real Fast**](http://www.amazon.com/Slim-Down-Now-Pounds-Inches/dp/0062311832/ref=as%5Fat?tag=healthcom04a-20&linkCode=as2&)**_. Connect with her on_** [**_Facebook_**](http://www.facebook.com/cynthiasassfans)**_,_** [**_Twitter_**](https://twitter.com/cynthiasass) **_and_** [**_Pinterest_**](http://pinterest.com/cynthiasass/)**_._** _This_ [_article_](http://www.health.com/nutrition/night-workout-nutrition/?xid=time) _originally appeared on_ [_Health.com_](http://www.health.com) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4461895/eat-diet-late-night-workout/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4461895/eat-diet-late-night-workout/"},"headline":"What to Eat After a Late-Night Workout","datePublished":"2016-08-25T16:00:32.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T00:07:53.470Z","description":"These snacks can help replenish and refuel post-workout","url":"https://time.com/4461895/eat-diet-late-night-workout/","keywords":["Diet & Nutrition"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf941b30c8307eac9/6988a334e20a873d5ca921d2/best-late-night-workout-meals.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Cynthia Sass / Health.com"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf941b30c8307eac9/6988a334e20a873d5ca921d2/best-late-night-workout-meals.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Roasted chickpeas in bowl","caption":"Roasted chickpeas in bowl","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/dietnutrition/","name":"Diet & Nutrition"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4461895/eat-diet-late-night-workout/","name":"What to Eat After a Late-Night Workout"}}]}] ```